Ranking NFC North pass-catcher groups for 2025: Are Vikings No. 1?

We're continuing our series ranking the four NFC North teams by various aspects of their roster. We've done quarterback rooms and running back rooms. Now, instead of doing both wide receivers and tight ends separately, we're going to combine them and rank the four teams in the division by their entire collection of (non-RB) pass-catching weapons.

Let's dive in.

The Packers have assembled a deep group of good football players at wide receiver and tight end. But do they have any truly great players? Reed is the de facto No. 1 after recording over 1,932 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns over his first two seasons. He's a weapon with the ball in his hands. Doubs, Wicks, and even Melton are solid complementary receivers. So is Watson, a former early draft pick who hasn't really panned out as a deep threat after a promising rookie year. The Packers finally drafted a receiver in the first round for the first time in 23 years, and maybe Golden — who was outstanding at Texas last year — will become a star.

The most underrated player here might be Kraft, who is a rare athlete at the tight end position. Among all WR/TEs with at least 50 targets last year, he was second in the league with 8.8 yards after the catch per reception. It's a solid TE duo with Kraft and Musgrave, who missed much of last season with an injury.

Moore has never made a Pro Bowl, but he's a capable WR1 whose numbers regressed slightly last season after a career year in 2023 (nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 9 TDs). Odunze, a top-ten pick last year, had a solid rookie season and should continue to progress as a top target for Caleb Williams. And the Bears went out and added another exciting receiver early in the second round with Burden, who was an electrifying player at Missouri.

It wouldn't be insane to make the argument that the Bears should be one spot higher, given that we're also factoring in tight end rooms. Kmet is a very solid pass-catcher at that position. And Loveland, the tenth overall pick in this year's draft, has an extremely high ceiling as a receiving TE in Ben Johnson's offense.

The Lions are in this spot almost entirely due to the strength of their top three pass-catchers: St. Brown, Williams, and LaPorta. St. Brown is one of the NFL's truly elite wide receivers, having earned first team All-Pro honors in each of the last two seasons. He's a masterful route runner and red zone machine who is third in both receiving yards and touchdowns since 2023 began. Williams broke out last year with a 1K season on just 58 receptions (over 17 yards per catch) and is generating lots of buzz heading into his fourth year. LaPorta couldn't quite match the massive numbers from his rookie year, but he's still a major weapon. And the best part for Lions fans is that all three are either 24 or 25 years old. The depth is uninspiring, so an injury to one of the top three guys would hurt quite a bit.

I don't think it's a biased take to say that the Vikings have the best collection of wide receivers and tight ends in the NFC North (and a top-five group in the entire NFL). In my opinion, Jefferson and Addison make up the second-best WR duo in the league, behind only the Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Even after a huge Chase season, Jefferson has a very strong argument as the best receiver in football, given how consistently dominant he's been with multiple quarterbacks. He has smashed yardage records through five seasons and is right in the heart of his prime, approaching his 26th birthday this month. Addison is an outstanding No. 2 who is just 23 years old. Nailor showed up to spring practices having bulked up as he heads into a contract year. The Vikings are quite excited about Felton, their third-round pick who had a huge season at Maryland last fall.

And don't overlook Hockenson, who should be a huge asset for new quarterback J.J. McCarthy on short and intermediate routes over the middle of the field. He's been one of the better receiving tight ends in the league for several years. Oliver is a great complement because of his blocking ability.